Welcome to The People Behind the Programs, a blog series celebrating the voices, stories, and impact of the community professionals powering connection and belonging across the globe.

Today, we meet Umang Mehta, the Country Community Lead for India at Led by Community C.I.C, where she forges connections that strengthen and uplift community professionals across the nation.

Umang’s journey towards community building blossomed from a very personal experience: the search for a supportive space during a pivotal time in her life. In her own words, this path has become not just a career but a calling.

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How It Started

My journey into community building didn’t begin with a job title; it began with a very real need. When I became a mother, I struggled to find safe, non-judgmental spaces where women could talk openly about their emotions, identity shifts, health, and the invisible load. Instead of waiting for something to exist, I built it. What started as a small support circle eventually grew into a thriving motherhood community with 13,000+ women — and that experience changed the way I understood the power of digital connection.

That grassroots beginning opened unexpected doors. My work caught the attention of Meta, and I was invited to join their team as the Community Manager for the Facebook Community Accelerator Program (India) — supporting, guiding, and strengthening some of the most impactful community leaders across the country. This experience deepened my understanding of how communities grow, sustain themselves, and create real-world impact at scale.

I was also invited to represent India at the Meta APAC Community Chat Executive Roundtable, where I shared on-ground insights about community needs and advocated for more supportive, human-centered product features.

Since then, I’ve expanded beyond parenting communities — leading and advising communities for brands like Danone, Slurrp Farm, and several wellness and women-centric initiatives. Through it all, my belief has remained the same: community building is less about content and more about trust, care, and behavior change.

Today, I serve as the Community Lead (India) at Led By Community, shaping India’s fastest-growing ecosystem for community professionals. My journey has come full circle: from creating safe spaces for mothers to now empowering community builders across India.

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Community didn’t just become my career — it became my purpose.

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A Day in the Life

I currently serve as the Community Lead (India) at Led By Community, where I’m building and nurturing one of India’s fastest-growing ecosystems for community professionals. My role sits at the intersection of strategy, people, partnerships, and real-world implementation — which means no two days ever look the same, but the common thread is always connection.

At its core, I manage a community of early-stage to senior community builders, marketers, founders, and tech professionals who want to learn, grow, and build meaningful communities. My responsibility is to make sure India feels seen, supported, and represented within this global network.

A typical day for me starts with checking in on community conversations — understanding what people need, where they’re stuck, and what’s inspiring them. I spend a good amount of time designing and moderating our online spaces, curating prompts, facilitating discussions, and ensuring psychological safety remains at the center of everything.

Another big part of my day revolves around program-building: planning our offline meetups, coordinating with venue partners, shaping our learning sessions, identifying speakers, and building systems for member onboarding and engagement. I also work closely with the global Led By Community team to bring India-specific insights into our strategy.

Because of my background managing Meta’s Facebook Community Accelerator Program (India), I naturally lean into mentorship — supporting early-stage community builders, helping them structure their projects, and guiding them on metrics, engagement frameworks, and brand collaborations.

No matter how operational or strategic my day gets, I make it a point to have at least one genuine 1:1 conversation with a community member. These touchpoints remind me that community work is ultimately human work — built one relationship at a time.

The Tools that Power My Work

My go-to community tool isn’t just a platform — it’s a system: Meta’s ecosystem of Facebook Groups, Messenger, and WhatsApp Communities. Having worked directly with Meta as the Community Manager for their Facebook Community Accelerator Program (India), I’ve seen firsthand how powerful these tools are when used intentionally.

For public-facing, large-scale conversations, personalised conversations — Facebook Groups are unmatched. The ability to segment discussions using Guides, create learning paths, host meaningful comment threads, and track member insights helps me design structured, safe learning environments. For communities like parenting, wellness, or early-stage founders — where vulnerability and peer support matter — the Group format encourages depth, not just visibility.

For fast, intimate, everyday connection, WhatsApp Communities have become indispensable. I use them for micro-announcements, sub-group learning circles, quick check-ins, and building momentum between bigger events. People respond faster here, and the sense of belonging builds quickly.

At the same time, I also use tools like Slack and Circle when I’m building professional or cohort-based communities. Slack is brilliant for real-time collaboration and cross-functional workflows, while Circle offers a clean, distraction-free space to host courses, discussions, and member journeys without the noise of social platforms. Both push me to think more intentionally about information architecture, not just interaction.

But the real “tool” behind all of this is my framework:

Platforms give structure. Rituals create culture. Systems sustain trust.

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I rely heavily on Notion and Google Sheets to maintain these systems — tracking member journeys, engagement patterns, event pipelines, and personal notes about high-intent members.

If I had to choose one tool that consistently delivers both reach and depth, it would still be Facebook Groups. They allow me to operate at scale, maintain safety, design learning journeys, and truly understand my community’s behavior;  something I deeply value as a Meta Certified Community Manager.

Ultimately, the best tool is the one that helps people feel seen. And Meta’s ecosystem has helped me achieve that across India, APAC, and global communities I’ve worked with.

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Advice for Newcomers

If you’re just starting your community journey, here’s the truth I wish someone had told me early on: community building is less about knowing everything and more about caring consistently.

You don’t need the perfect strategy on day one. You don’t need fancy tools or a 50-page plan. What you do need is the willingness to listen, really listen-  and the humility to learn from your members. They will teach you more than any course or playbook ever will.

A few things I’ve learned along the way:

1. Start small and start real. Communities don’t grow because of big launches; they grow because 10 people feel genuinely seen.
2. Create rituals, not just content. Posts get likes. Rituals build belonging. Weekly check-ins, member spotlights, or small traditions can transform the culture.
3. Don’t try to be the “expert.” Be the facilitator. Your job is to hold space, not hold all the answers. The best communities are built horizontally, not top-down.
4. Measure what actually matters. Likes and reach are easy to chase, but the real metrics are trust, consistency, and whether members return without being asked.
5. Burnout is real — pace yourself. You absorb a lot of emotions as a community builder. Find your boundaries early. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
6. Most importantly: community work is impact work. You won’t always see the results immediately, but your presence could be the lifeline someone needs that day.

If you’re here because you care about people, you’re already halfway there. The rest you will learn — one conversation, one insight, one small win at a time.

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Resources I Suggest

I always recommend resources that are practical, human, and grounded in real behavior — not just theory. Three that have genuinely shaped my approach are:

1. Get Together by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh & Kai Elmer Sotto. This is the book I wish I had when I started. It strips away all the jargon and brings community building back to its core: people, purpose, and shared identity. The stories are simple, relatable, and incredibly grounding for anyone new to the field.
2. The Community Experience Podcast. This is a great resource for beginners because it offers exposure to community builders across different industries — from nonprofits to SaaS. Listening to others break down their failures and successes helps new builders understand that there’s no single “perfect” way to do this work.
3. Meta’s Community Manager Certification Resources. Having done this certification myself, I can confidently say the foundational modules are excellent for beginners. They teach the basics of safety, engagement, governance, and measurement in a very practical, structured way. Even if someone doesn’t take the exam, the learning material itself is worth exploring.

Beyond any book or podcast, I always tell new community builders to invest in one thing: observation. Study how great communities behave — how they welcome, how they respond, how they support each other. That’s the real curriculum.

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💬 Let’s connect on LinkedIn — I’d love to hear from fellow community builders.

💡 The People Behind the Programs is a blog series that shines a light on the community professionals powering impactful programs around the world. Want to share your story or nominate someone doing incredible community work? Submit your spotlight here.

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